Abstract

Productive lifespan is important to commercial farmers, as ewes that are culled prematurely from the flock represent a considerable cost. The greater the number of replacements retained, the fewer the number of animals available for sale, and the greater proportion of the farm that must be allocated to rearing replacements at the expense of carrying more productive ewes. As selection occurs in stud flocks, Sheep Improvement Ltd. (SIL) developed an exit fate recording system that distinguishes between commercial culls of unsound sheep and the culling of sound sheep based on knowledge such as pedigree or genetic merit that would not usually be available to commercial breeders. Ewes culled for commercial ... continued

SB, McIntyre, SAN Newman, EA Young, and JC McEwan

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 72, Christchurch, 152-155, 2012